Yielding guide-roller for rudder-chains of ships.



, No. 686,3I7. Patented Nov. I2, I90I.

A. MAY. YIELDING GUIDE ROLLER FDR RUDDER CHAINS 0F SHIPS.

(Application led Jne 26, 1899. Renewed Aug. 9, 1901,)

(No Model.)

INN.

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UNITE STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

AGUST MAY, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO CARL O. LANGE, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

YIELDING GUIDE-ROLLER FOR R-UDDER-CHAINS OF SHIPS.

SPECIFICATION formingV part of Letters Patent No. 686,31*?, dated November 12, 1901.

Application tiled June 26, 1899. Renewed August 9, 1901.- Serial No.71,532. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST MAY, captain, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 22 Admiralitatstrasse, Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Yielding Guide-Rollers for the RuddenChains of Ships, (for which I have made applications for patents in Germany, dated May 18, 1899, and in Great Britain, dated May 31, 1899,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device by means of which the possibility of breaking the rudder-chain on sea-going ships isV reduced.

The breaking of the rudder-chain occurs inV rough weather when a sudden rolling wave exerts such a strong pressure upon the rudder that its chain is not equal to the enormous strain momentarily put upon it. With a view to avoid the breaking ofthe chain elastic links have been inserted therein having the form of -helical springs. These springs, however, are disposed parallel to the direction of the pull on the chain and have not given satisfaction.

The improved device hereinafter described is intended to afford greater security than that aorded by previously-known devices.

My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a cross-section. Fig. 2 is a lougitudinal section on the line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved device.

This improved device is applied to all those parts where the direction of the rudder-chain requires altering and where hitherto fixed rollers have been utilized.

The roller a is similar to those hitherto in use. The stirrup or frame b in appearance is also unaltered. The foundation-plate c, however, has been altered and forms at the same time'a sliding cover for the so-called springbox d. This box d and cover c are secured together by a tongue and groovec and cZ, respectively, integral with the cover c-that is to say, the base-plate of the roller a. A pair of lugs e are provided on said base-plate for carrying the ends of helical springs f, their other ends being supported upon projections g, provided on the inner side ot' the end d2 of the springbox. This latter is furnished with lugs for screw-bolts h, by which to secure the said box in any suitable position to the ship.

The roller-casing b and roller a are normally retained in a locked position by means of bolts c', inserted in eyes jj in the plate c and in the box d and then secured by split pins lo. Thus arranged the improved device corresponds in eect to the rigid roller-box hitherto used. If, however, the ship provided with these improved roller boxes is likely to encounter heavy seas, the rigid boxes are unlocked, and thus rendered elastic. As, however, the steering-chains exert an even steady pressure over the whole steering-gear, it will not be easy to loosen the bolts t' without the aid of special means. Power must be applied to oppose the pressure of the steering-gear chain in such a manner as to take the strain oft the bolts t'. To this end a lever Z is provided at the front end d2 of the spring-box, and such lever is furnished with a wedge-cam m, which on the lever being moved to a vertical position acts upon a projection n of the plate c, so causing it to slightly move rearward and free the bolts 't'. By now removing these bolts 't' the roller a is free to travel. The helical springs are pref` 4erably so calculated as to have their limit of elasticity as far as possible above the normal strain upon the chains, but always below the breaking strain of the same. It now extraordinary pressure is directed upon the rudder, the result, according to the theorem of forces in parallelograms, will be that the roller a yields in the direction of the diagonal, providing the box is so disposed that the branches of the chain forming an angle to the direction of movement of the roller a form two sides of the parallelogram and that the springs are disposed in the direction of the diagonal. This disposition is clearly shown in Fig. 3. By this arrangement the various members constituting the steering-gear are enabled to yield to each other.- The elastic traveling motion of the rollers enables a certain amount of yielding movement to the rudder, so en abling this latter to yield to any extraordinary pressures from the waves, thereby reducing their destructive effects upon the same, even if not entirely securing the rudder against breaking. Moreover, the great pressure on IOO the rudder is no longer directly transmitted to the steering-engine, and this is thus better guarded than with the arrangements heretofore in use. After the Weather has again abated or in the oase of the springs being broken, which is most unlikely, the afore-described device can at once be rendered Workable by reinserting the bolts in the stationary plate after setting the lever Z so as to adjust the holes in the lugs for the reception of the bolts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The Combination Wit-h a rudder-chain, of an elastically-yielding roller therefor, arranged to yield upon a diagonal as stated, and means for looking said roller against yielding movement.

2. The combination of the roller for rudderchains, the movable base upon which it is mounted, the spring-oase with which said base engages, cushioning-springs Within the ease and acting against said base, and means for looking the base to said case.

3. The oombinationo' the roller for rudderchains, the movable base upon which it is mounted, the box With which said base engages and upon which it slides, springs Within said box acting against the roller to cushion it against the stress of the rudder-chain, bolts for rigidly securing the base to the box,

and means for retraoting the base against Witnesses:

E. H. L. MUMMENHOFF, HUGH vPrrooM. 

